Clamp



C. E. SHAPPAT.

CLAMP. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1919- 1,359,539. P nted N v. 23,1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. snArrA'r, or ELDOBADO, KANSAS.

CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed December 15, 1919. Serial No. 344,896,

device or clamp for holding clamps of an oil well temper screw fromturning and twisting while drilling with a wire line cable, therebypreventing the line from wearing or spraying out and breakingimmediately back of the clamps of the temper screw, owing to thecontinual twisting of the line or wire cable during the drillingoperation and while the clamps are being held, thus preventing thestrands of the cable from working loose and necessitating repair orrenewal of the cable.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved clamp forthe purposes stated, which will serve to prevent the cable from twistingand turning at such a rapid pace as to make it unsafe for the driller tooperate the s' rew, in addition to preventing the strands of the cablefrom splaying out and breaking as heretofore stated, while alsoproviding a device which can be lengthened or shortened to fit screws ofdifferent lengths, or to permit movement or pulling of the cable,running of a string of casing and pulling of the same, with facility andin a manner to prevent the joints of the easing from catching on thedevice.

\Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdes"ribed and claimed, it being understood .that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device applied to a drillingapparatus or well tempered screw associated therewith; and

Fig, 2 is a perspective View of the clamp disassembled.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which like referen e charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral10 designates an oil well drilling apparatus, including a cable 11 Vwhich is operated infthe usual way,being supported by clamps 12 and 13from the temper screw 14, the cable being etl'ectively clamped againstmovement as it is reciprocated vertically. The temper screw clamps areprovided with handles15 and 16, preferably in the form of cross bars, bymeans of which the screw may be operated to feed the cable forwardly, asthe drill. islifted and to turn the drill to cause the sametoeffectively penetrate the earth, in the drilling of the well.Ordinarily, the clamps, owing to the turning of the temper screw by thecontinual operation of the drilling apparatus,

will cause the twisting of the cable, and thereby result in the wearingand breaking of the same owing tothe splaying of the strands thereof,back of the clamps where the slack is carried back so that the cable maybe operated during the drilling operation.

Toavoid the above objections, I provide my improved clamp which consistsof a bar 17, preferably of steelof suitable width and thickness, theupper end of which is bent at right angles" as shown at 18 and providedwith an opening 19 therethrough. The opposite end of the bar is providedwith a series of spaced openings 20.

Coijperating with the 1. ar 17 is a short bar 21 provided with a pair ofopenings 22 designed to cooperate with the openings 20, so as to receiveclamping bolts 28, whereby the bars can be fastened together rigidly andalso permitted to be adjusted one relative to the other, to vary thelength of the device. The lower end of the bar 21 is provided with areturn bend or loop 2 the same being extended horizontally in an opposte direction to the direction of extent of the end 18 at the u per endof the bar 17 and then returned therebeneath, to provide an open loop,terminating in an upwardly ofi'- set horizontal jaw portion 25cotiperating with the end portion or jaw 18 and disposed in alinernentand parallel with a central enlarged bear ng opening 26 and atequidistant points at either side thereof with openings 2 the innermostopening being located immediately forward of the lars proper,constituting the connecting portion of the clamp, and the other openingbeing located near the outer end of the arm 25. The nortion 25 is longerthan the end portion 18 for a purpose to be hereinafter made apparent,

sizes and constructions.

In the application and use of the device,

screw is bolted, at the openings 27, the temper screw passing throughthe opening 26 and through the opening 19. By this means, the swivelwill be maintained in a steady position and as the clamp hangs on theswivel, the clamp will run steady without twisting thereby preventingthe cable from splaying out where it is, bent, and subsequentlybreaking... Also, by reason'of the two part construction, the len' 11 ofthe device can be regulated so as to 't temper screws ofdiffe'rentlengths,,thereby accommodating the device to well drilling apparatus'ofdifferent Furthermore, the device can beunbolted so as to disconnect thesections thereof. whereby the loop at the bottom canbe turned to theopposite side while running a string of casing thus preventing the clamp'from being in the way or catching in the joints as the casing is beingrun. Also, the device permitsthe raising of the swivel to remove abroken'ball bearing, and renewal of said ball bearing or bearings wherethe swivel of the screw, rests on its bearing in the usual way. Thiscan. beaccomplished by removing the two bolts 23 thus leaving the swivelfree, and permitting it to be easily raised while the change is beingmade. Also, the loop 24 is made sulficiently large where the crossbar orhandle of the clamp therethrough, that the driller can reach his of. thetemper screw passes hand through the loop and turn the cross bar withoutclamping or pinching his hand. Having thusdeSCribed the invention what Iclaim is The combination with an oil well temper screw, a swivelconnected thereto, and a clamp suspended from the swivel, of a cross barfor operating the temper screw, a bar having one end portion extendingat right angles therefrom and provided with an aperture, there being alongitudinal series of apertures in the other end portion of the bar,the temper screw, being extended through the first mentioned opening, arelatively short bar having a longitudinal series of: openings in oneend portion thereof, :t'astening means extending through openings of theseries in the two bars for binding said bars together, said bars beingadjustable relative to each other, a laterally extending return bend orloop uponthe lower portion of the short bar, a jaw portionextending fromsaid loop andhaving an intermediate opening throughwhich the temperscrew e2;- tends and supplemental openings, means extending through thesupplemental openings for attachingsaid jaw to the swivel, said bar ofthe temper screw working within the loop and spaced" therefrom.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses. Y

. CHARLES E. SHAPPAT.

- Witnesses:

VlCTOR SMILEY,

L. 0. KEATI'ING.

